Trader Joe’s Barring Some Chinese Imports

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Los Angeles Trader Joe's will stop offering some Chinese-grown food products because of customer concerns about safety, the chain announced Monday.

Garlic, frozen organic spinach and other "single ingredient" food items from mainland China will be phased out by April 1, although products that include ingredients from both China and other sources will remain.

China's exports have come under intense scrutiny in the past year after lead or dangerous chemicals were found in goods ranging from dog food to toys and toothpaste.

But Monrovia-based Trader Joe's, which offers a variety of organic, gourmet and imported foods in nearly 300 stores nationwide, went further than some other chains.

Wegmans, which has about 70 stores in five Eastern states, stopped purchasing Chinese-grown garlic last fall but continued to sell other produce.